DIY jobs for renters: Part 1 - Paint, paint paint!

Just because you're renting doesn't mean you have to shelve your renovation plans.

While it is unlikely that you will be able to embark on any major kitchen or bathroom DIY jobs, there are some tasks you can still take on to make improvements around the place.

One of the quickest and most affordable ways of injecting fresh life into a room is by giving it a fresh coat of paint.

Before you get your brushes ready, you will have to gain approval from your landlord - depending on the homeowner they might be quite happy for you to do some DIY painting. And you might even be able to come to an arrangement - they provide the paint, and you do the hard yards.

Once you have the landlord's ok you can start painting! To protect your furniture and possessions, you will want to remove everything out of the room - or at least well out of the way, and covered in drop cloths to protect them.

Using a trestle from your local Kennards Hire store will help you reach the ceiling to wall joins, and will be extremely helpful if you are also painting the ceiling.

Work from the top down with your painting as this allows you see and rectify any drips in your work as you go.